The Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Senator Dayo Adeyeye has called on Nigerians to re-elect President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027 drawing a sharp distinction between the President’s focus on building national infrastructure assets and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s history of privatizing public wealth.
Speaking at a press conference on the state of the nation in Abuja on Monday Senator Adeyeye warned voters against returning to policies that surrendered strategic national infrastructure to private buyers arguing that President Tinubu’s administration is actively expanding the country’s asset base.
Adeyeye delivered a direct critique of Atiku’s public sector record questioning his approach to national development and political management.
‘His (Atiku) only plan is to sell’ Adeyeye declared. ‘As privatization chairman he sold NITEL NICON Ajaokuta – all died. Now he wants to sell NNPC and our new ports. This is how you diversify an economy – by building not by selling it.’
Contrasting this record with the current administration’s track record the NPA Chairman noted that President Tinubu has consistently established expanded and protected state institutions throughout his political career.
‘Tinubu built’ Adeyeye emphasized. ‘He built AD built ACN built APC. He built Lagos from N600 Million to N51 Billion IGR. He built a party built a city and is now building a nation. Atiku only jumps. Defect contest lose run away. Nigerians must choose: Builder or Jumper? Stayer or Tourist?’
Senator Adeyeye pointed to the transformation of Nigeria’s maritime sector as prime evidence of President Tinubu’s commitment to expanding public assets rather than liquidating them. He highlighted the creation of the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy and the launch of major deep-sea port developments across the coastline.
‘For 63 years no President remembered the ocean’ Adeyeye stated. ‘Today we are building new ports – Ibom Bakassi Ondo Badagry Bonny. Total maritime agency revenue moved from N700.79 billion in 2023 to N1.83 trillion in 2025 – a 160% increase. The World Bank ranked Apapa and Tin Can among the Top 20 Most Improved Ports in the world.’
Listing key fiscal infrastructural and social investments driving the administration’s asset-building strategy the NPA boss stated that Nigeria completely settled its International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan principal on April 30 2025 becoming the only major African nation with zero IMF principal debt while foreign reserves expanded to $53.8 Billion.
The former Minister of State Works noted that the administration allocated N758 Billion to clear legacy pension backlogs dating back to 2007 benefiting 957045 retirees while reinstating 100 percent annual salary gratuity under the Exit Benefit Scheme.
He also cited various national transport links with construction actively progressing on key connectivity routes including the 750km Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and the 1068km Sokoto-Badagry Highway while on human capital development Adeyeye cited the over N355 billion disbursed via the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) to support 1.6 million tertiary students without selling off public educational institutions.
Recalling political history Adeyeye noted that the opposition presidential candidate of African Democratic Congress (ADC) who now criticize the President Tinubu previously sought his support when facing political opposition.
‘A man who cannot build a political party cannot build a Nigeria of 230 million people’ Adeyeye remarked. ‘When former President Obasanjo wanted to crush him where did he run to? Bourdillon. To Tinubu. Tinubu gave him Action Congress (AC) and gave him a platform. A man who ran to Tinubu for refuge now wants to challenge him? Asiwaju is his master in politics and nation-building.’
The initiator of South West Agenda for Asiwaju (SWAGA) Adeyeye dismissed the presidential candidate of Alliance Peoples Movement (APM) Gov. Seyi Makinde as no match to the re-election of President Tinubu in January 16 2027 in the South West region insisting that ‘Asiwaju will trash him in Oyo State where he is currently the governor. Seyi Makinde is no match to Asiwaju either in the South West or the country at large. ‘
Adeyeye then appealed to the electorate to back President Tinubu’s reform agenda to ensure economic stability and structural growth.
‘President Tinubu has done the painful surgery; let us allow him to complete the healing. Vote continuity. Vote Tinubu 2027’ Adeyeye said.